Leiden, NL

New strategy for large scale housing development.

After the European financial crisis, large scale housing development needs to be reinvented in the Netherlands. Being in close contact with future inhabitants, cutting down development time and designing with a sharp eye for budget are quintessential for success. Together with client Portaal and contractor ERA Contour we developped a project for 136 dwellings, to be built in two or three phases according to the ever changing market circumstances. The design was generated in a one week workshop including all stake-holders. This design was presented to interested future buyers a week later. According to their remarks adaptations were integrated in further design. The layout of the project is developped around three cores, each with a different hight. Parking is arranged on groundfloor level, half covered, half in open air. On the south Side a pocketparc is flanked with three lowrise blocks. This helps to scale the project towards the small scale of the rest of the neighborhood. Instead of making three identical, and repeated towers, the volumes are arranged a-symmetrically in order to produce a more dynamic facade. The project has two distinctive different sides: the southfacing balcony façade has a horizontal and joyfull appearance. The more closed northfacade ( heavy sound measures needed) is vertically oriented. Here the project is cut up in different bricktypes to enhance the verticallity. The project shows a real skyline on this site. After three quarters of preparring, ground breaking ceremony is planned for september 2014.